Taboo Topics: The Stem Cell Battle: Life in the Balance

While the research is firmly rooted in the cautious pace of genuine scientific progress, the ethical debate surrounding stem cells — primal, undifferentiated cells that have not become specialized yet — is swelling at a fevered pitch. For people in the “pro-life” corner of the debate, the moral cost of stem cell research is too high to offset any potential benefits. For advocates, the possibilities of potentially treating or even curing degenerative diseases are inspiring and justification enough to let research proceed. As misguided as it would be to outright deny the ethical, legal and societal issues of stem cell research, it would be equally as misguided to outright deny its possibilities. The question thus remains, how should we proceed?